Groundbreaking Agreement Puts Paramedics on Winnipeg Fire Trucks

May 16, 2007 – A groundbreaking agreement that places fire fighter-paramedics on city fire trucks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is being hailed as major boost for public safety in the city and a model for other Canadian cities to follow.

Under the landmark agreement, 80 Primary Care fire fighter-paramedics – who belong to IAFF Local 867, the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg (UFFW) – are now riding on 11 city fire trucks, a number that will increase to 35 trucks over two years.

The new model means that the new fire fighter-paramedics will have a response time of less than four minutes, compared to nine minutes for paramedics with the city’s existing ambulance service.

“We’ll have the best level of paramedic response of any major city in Canada, and well do it by using fire resources,” says UFFW President Alex Forrest. “Our response goes from nine minutes to just under four minutes. It’s a great deal for everyone.”

All of the fire fighter-paramedics will be members of the UFFW exclusively, and will be riding solely on fire trucks. The agreement specifies that they will not have to serve in city ambulances. In addition, the name of the department will be changed back to the Winnipeg Fire Department.

The deal required the city’s paramedic union to give up its exclusive right to represent paramedics, and it contains certain guarantees and protection for the new fire fighter-paramedics, as well as special wage increases for fire department officers overseeing the new model.